Bride and groom Kyle and Amie McDonald pose with their wedding party at Fort Edmonton Park.

Photographed by:Sue Shupenia, Sparky Photography

EDMONTON - It’s not like Kyle McDonald was the only man who showed up on ladies’ night at Edmonton’s Union Hall that evening five years ago. He was the first man Amie Makowichuk saw, though, and the only one she noticed. It was odd, really; she had never been attracted to blond-haired men before, always fallen for the tall, dark and handsome types. And yet here he was, with his frosted-tip faux blond mohawk and dancing blue eyes.

When they compared notes later, they determined there must have been a bit of divine intervention involved in their meeting. She had no intention of going out that night. Neither did he. It was their respective friends who “dragged” them to the club, insisted they couldn’t stay home alone on a Friday night.

One of her friends saw Kyle about the same time she did, found herself drawn to the same striking good looks that had captured Amie’s attention.

“We had an I-saw-him-first discussion,” laughs Amie, “and I called dibs.”

He was the one who approached her. “Hello” turned into hours of conversation, followed by endless text messages when they eventually parted ways, and even a quick phone call to say good-night.

She had no intention of inviting him to the housewarming party she and her roommates were throwing the next night, but when he called and his friend grabbed the phone to ask for the address, she couldn’t say no.

They talked the night away, much like the night before, and much like the day after. That’s when they had their first official date, spending hours in Tim Hortons that seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

“Kyle has a natural charisma,” says Amie, now 26. “He’s a very open person and you can feel that energy from him. He’s a really good-hearted person.

“We seemed to have so much in common, and our conversation was never forced or awkward.”

Talk of marriage seemed to come just as easily, and pretty early on in their relationship. She teased him about his bad secret-keeping skills, told him he’d never be able to surprise her. So when she fell asleep on the couch after work one day in June 2011, she wasn’t expecting to wake up to the sight of her decidedly nervous boyfriend down on one knee, ready to propose.

Surprise.

After giddy calls to family and friends with the news, they decided to celebrate with dinner out, and then spent the next couple of hours waiting for AMA. In his excitement, Kyle had locked his keys in his truck.

When it came time to say their vows this past summer, there were no nerves at all for either of them, just joy and anticipation. Amie’s makeup was ruined even before she reached the altar when her big, strong, tough-as-nails dad dissolved into tears at the sight of his only daughter in her wedding dress.

“It was the first time I saw him cry,” says Amie. “He’s a very strong man who doesn’t show emotion.”

It was, says Amie, the first of many beautiful unexpected moments. The next one came during the reception when their best man and maid of honour, respectively, got up in front of one and all to deliver touching speeches about their dear friends.

“They’re both incredibly shy people who have a fear of speaking in front of people,” says Amie. “We were both so touched, knowing how much it took for them to do that. It showed us how much they loved us.

“Really, our wedding really opened our eyes to how fortunate we are to have so many loving and supportive people in our lives.”